To support professional development and foster international collaboration, the EBMT Nurses Group awarded grants to a number of dedicated nurses to attend the 52nd Annual Meeting of the EBMT in Madrid, Spain. These grants enabled recipients to participate in scientific sessions, network with peers, and gain valuable insights to bring back to their clinical practice.
In the testimonials below, grant recipients share their experiences, takeaways, and the impact of attending this major event in the field of stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy.
Alice Passoni
Clinical nurse, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
This year I had the opportunity to attend the EBMT Annual Meeting in Madrid as a nurse, and it was a truly enriching experience. I felt honoured to be part of such an important international event, where professionals from different countries come together to share knowledge and best practices.
The sessions were highly informative and allowed me to deepen my understanding of patient care, new treatments, and recent research developments. What I appreciated most was the opportunity to exchange experiences with other nurses, learning from their perspectives and daily challenges.
Being surrounded by motivated and passionate professionals inspired me to continue improving my skills and to stay updated in my field. I believe that participating in events like EBMT is essential for both personal and professional growth. I am very grateful for this opportunity and I hope to attend future meetings, continuing to contribute to the advancement of nursing practice.
Charlotte Rigby
Practice Facilitator for Inpatient HSCT, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
The Annual Meeting of EBMT in Madrid was not only my first ever conference, but also and more importantly, a true highlight of my career! I feel incredibly grateful to have received the ‘Next Generation’ Annual Meeting Grant to be able to attend. From the moment I arrived at the conference centre, I was blown away by the scale of the event and the opportunities it could hold. I attended many different talks by a range of experts on a variety of topics including medical advancements and novel treatment modalities - giving insight into the future of transplant care and nursing. I found the experience to be invaluable in forming connections and networking amongst my peers from many different world class transplant centres across the globe. I found the sessions on Nursing Leadership, different generational styles and how this will impact future nursing leaders to be particularly though provoking, and something I will carry through in my HSCT nursing career!
Chiara Gandossi
Advanced Practice Nurse, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
Attending the Annual Meeting of the EBMT provided a highly technical and practice-oriented update on patient optimisation in haematology, particularly in the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). A major focus was on prehabilitation as a structured, multimodal intervention incorporating aerobic and resistance training, nutritional optimisation, and psychological support. Emerging data highlighted its role in improving cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ peak), preserving lean body mass, and potentially reducing post-transplant morbidity.
Significant attention was devoted to the standardised assessment of nutritional status and frailty. Validated tools, including GLIM criteria for malnutrition, bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition, and frailty indices (e.g., Clinical Frailty Scale and integration with HCT-CI), were emphasized as key components of risk stratification. Early identification of sarcopenia and cachexia proved essential for tailoring conditioning regimens and supportive care.
Finally, advances in the early recognition and management of treatment-related toxicities were discussed, supporting a more proactive, risk-adapted, and multidisciplinary approach to improving outcomes.
Jessica Fyvie
Nurse, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
As a junior nurse, the Annual Meeting was an amazing opportunity that broadened my perspective, particularly through learning about new treatments and trails that brought the role of a BMT nurse to light. It was also fascinating to see how practises differ across countries and new things that could be brought into our practise such as, patient journals documenting their BMT journeys. It was an amazing experience, and I would highly recommend it to other nurses, especially junior nurses early on in their career.
Isabella Bonthorne
Senior Staff Nurse, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
Attending EBMT Madrid was an incredibly rewarding experience, both professionally and personally. It provided a valuable opportunity to engage with leading experts in stem cell transplantation and to gain insight into the latest research, innovations, and best practices in the field. I particularly enjoyed the diversity of sessions, which allowed me to deepen my clinical knowledge while also reflecting on ways to enhance patient care within my own unit. Drawing on my previous experience working in Australia, I found it especially interesting to compare international approaches to care and recognise both shared challenges and unique practices across healthcare systems. Having capacity to network with colleagues from around the world reinforced this global perspective. Being able to represent GOSH was a highlight of the conference, and it strengthened my appreciation for collaboration between multi-disciplinary teams, thus, improving patient outcomes. Overall, the experience was inspiring, leaving me feeling more confident and motivated in my role.
Hanne Devreese
Nurse and stem cell transplantation reference nurse, University hospital, Ghent, Belgium
I have been working as a nurse for five years now and was very interested in attending the Annual Meeting of the EBMT in Madrid. I am therefore extremely grateful to have received this grant. The meeting has greatly enriched me as a nurse. On the one hand, I learned a lot about various pathologies and treatments. At the exhibition, I also had the opportunity to see how certain therapies are performed in practice, such as ECP. On the other hand, I take with me the many patient testimonies, which offered valuable insights into their perspectives, for example on coping with GVHD. I also gained ideas on how certain aspects of care on our ward could be improved, inspired by experiences shared by other hospitals. I will certainly share this knowledge with my colleagues. After attending the EBMT meeting, I feel renewed enthusiasm to further optimize care for transplant patients. Thank you very much EBMT!
Louisa Van Speybroeck
Registered nurse, Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Nurse, UZ Gent, Ghent, Belgium
I was grateful to receive a scholarship from EBMT to attend the Annual Meeting in Madrid. It was an exceptionally educational and inspiring experience.
It was fascinating to connect with nurses and physicians from around the world and exchange experiences.
The sessions within the nursing group were the most interesting. These were practice-oriented and offered valuable insights that I could immediately apply in our own department. The sessions for psychologists were also inspiring, with a strong focus on empathetic care and providing the right support to patients. In addition, the patients’ testimonials made a deep impression on me—moments that truly gave me goosebumps and reaffirmed why our work is so meaningful.
After the conference, I immediately felt motivated to implement certain ideas and small improvements within our department. Although we already do excellent work as a team, I believe that even those small adjustments can make a big difference.
In short, a unique experience that not only enriched my professional development but can also offer tangible added value for our healthcare practice.
Bahareh Ghoddoosi
Paediatric Nurse, Queen Silvia’s Children Hospital Gothenburg, Sweden
It was my honour to participate in the 52nd Annual Meeting of the EBMT with the Stem Cell Transplantation team from Gothenburg for the first time. It was a great experience to attend such an important international conference. The organisation and planning were very good, and everything was well managed.
I had a chance to communicate with different medical professions from different countries and learn about how they work in their teams. This also helps me to find out different approaches in transplantation care. One nice thing was to have the chance to listen to different lectures based on my interests and that it was also possible to ask questions from the speakers, which made the sessions more interactive.
In my opinion, the best part was learning about new and different topics and research. I was also able to compare paediatric and adult transplant treatments, and this was much more extensive and informative than I had thought.
Overall, it was one of the best and most valuable experiences of my career and I learned a lot from it.
Carmine Colella
Nurse, AOU Federico II, Naples, Italy
Attending the Annual Meeting of the EBMT in Madrid was an inspiring and enriching experience for my professional growth. The congress offered a unique opportunity to learn about the latest advances in haematopoietic cell transplantation and patient care, while also connecting with professionals from many different countries. One of the most valuable aspects of the meeting was the exchange of ideas and experiences with colleagues working in similar clinical settings. The sessions dedicated to nursing practice were particularly interesting and provided practical insights that I can apply in my daily work with patients. Receiving this grant made it possible for me to participate in such an important international event, and I am truly grateful for this opportunity. I returned to my hospital with new knowledge, fresh motivation, and a stronger sense of belonging to the international transplant community.
Martina Cortese
Ward Manager, Paediatric Haematology Oncology and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Verona, Italy
This year I participated in the 52nd edition of the EBMT Annual Meeting in Madrid, an extremely formative and stimulating experience. I am deeply honoured to have received the Next Generation Annual Meeting Grant, which allowed me to bear the costs of participation and to take an active part in this important scientific event.
Participation in the congress proved to be extremely productive from several points of view. First, it offered an in-depth update on new strategies for managing complications and the latest developments in the field of transplantation.
In addition, a particularly enriching aspect was the direct comparison with international experts in the field of transplantation. The discussion of complex cases, innovative approaches and still open critical issues has contributed to broadening the perspective and strengthening clinical reasoning. In this context, the congress also represented an important networking opportunity, favouring the creation of future collaborations between centres and research groups.
The Nurses Groups have proven to be particularly practical and applicable to everyday reality. In particular, the Paediatric Nurses Groups, my field, were extremely stimulating and allowed me to acquire numerous ideas concretely transferrable in my work context in Italy.